How to Prevent Dog Cancer from Returning

We found a dog oncologist who had him on Predonisone hoping to shrink/eliminate the tumor. This did not prove effective and we were told a surgery / tumor removal was the next best option.

There was a delay of about 3 weeks because Max's blood test kept showing low platelet count and the vet decided to first correct this problem before admitting Max to surgery. As a result Max took Predonisone for over 6 weeks before the removal of the tumor and his immunity suffered considerably. His blood platelet count never improved but surgery was inevitable and the vet decided not to wait any longer.

His MCT was removed 10 days ago. They took a large piece of his skin and secured the cut with 25 stitches. The pathology rated the MCT as stage 2 out of 3. However, the vet said no chemotherapy is needed.

They also conducted cell mutation test which came back negative. Even though the surgery went well and tumor was removed with clear margins, the risk of re-occurrence is quite high and we will have to examine Max often and carefully.

They are now weening him off Predonisone and his energy is coming back. I have been looking for the right supplements/recommended dosage to help his body recover and prevent future re-occurrence of cancer.

I understand the tumor removal does not solve the problem; it won't help his immune system detect abnormal cells and destroy them.

We feed him Artemis Fresh Mix for Adult Dog with two pumps of Grizzly Salmon Oil. He does not tolerate high protein foods very well. He loves eating apples, carrots and pig ears as treats.

I found this supplement online and I would like you to consider whether this could be a suitable supplement for Max: http://www.dogcancer.net/k9-immunity-plus.html

I purchased Q10 and IP6 separately but I am confused about what the correct dosage should be. That is why I am leaning towards K9 Immunity Plus.

Previously in his life, Max had problems with giardia. We currently live in Tokyo, Japan and the city and there is a high concentration of dogs. His vet could not detect what the problem was and fed him antibiotics for pretty much the first two years of his life.

Finally, I found online about giardia and gave him a course of Panacur. He has been fine ever since with just rare episodes of acute diarrhea.

I believe this could be a potential source of his cancer. Other sources could be rabies vaccination that has to be performed yearly in Japan and/or nuclear accident in Japan 3 years ago and Max being less than 100km close to the area.

Comments for How to Prevent Dog Cancer from Returning

You have done quite a bit of research for Max, finding the very best diet and supplements for him! I commend you on such hard work!

That is a shame that he had to take the Prednisone for so long and it really did not benefit him at all. I agree that your main concern should be to support his immune system and increase the platelet count.

I would also suggest that you add some milk thistle for liver support, since Prednisone will affect the liver. The dose is 8mg/lb TWO times daily. It can be added to the food. He should probably stay on milk thistle for 3-6 weeks. (while you are weaning him off of Prednisone, and then for another 1-2 weeks past that.)

Since you mentioned that the first two years of life he had antibiotics, (as the Giardia was not diagnosed), then Max may also need to have
Acidophilus. Especially, since he still has 'rare occurrences of acute diarrhea.'

You also mentioned that he "does not tolerate high protein foods well". Then his diet may need to be adjusted slightly. What I recommend for a 'cancer' diet for dogs, corresponds to the K-9 Immunity site. NO CARBOHYDRATES, HIGH Protein and High FAT. The theory is that cancer cells need sugar/simple carbohydrates to thrive. Therefore if you feed Max a diet that has LOW carbs and more protein and fat, the cancer cells will starve.

DRY dog food diets are NOT good for him. The Artemis diet offers canned foods, chicken, lamb and beef. In addition to apples and carrots, I would add in some green beans and yams to his diet. ALSO, some raw meat. NO raw pork or raw fish. But adding in RAW chicken, turkey, beef or lamb would be good.

If Max weighs 60-70 lbs, he will need 900-1,050 calories per day. If you feed him two times daily then he will need 450-525 calories per meal two times daily. AVOID pigs ears. They are not a healthy treat. Offer dental chews that will help keep his teeth clean.

I was very impressed with the K-9 Immunity site, it looks like a great supplement. As for the FDA warning, it seemed to be directed to the company making claims that the FDA felt they could not back up. Not that there was anything wrong with the product.

You are correct in worrying about the effects of the Rabies vaccination and any other vaccinations causing cancer. Max should NOT be vaccinated EVER again. According to .
Dr Richard Pitcairn's book, Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats giving a dog with cancer a vaccination, is like throwing gasoline on a fire." You must find a holistic veterinarian to write an exemption form for Max.

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

The nuclear accident that happened in Japan was truly a horrible tragedy, and radiation is a prime destroyer of DNA and genetic material, causing mutations that do lead to cancer. Do the best you can to feed a raw diet and provide immune support and NO MORE vaccinations...this is the best you can do.

Along with homeopathic remedies to help the rest of his system, (to help prevent future 'episodes of acute diarrhea'), and attain the best health possible to prevent future cancer growth.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care, Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Apr 22, 2013

Thank youby: Leni M

Thank you for your thorough response, Dr. Tillman. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to help. All noted and taken on board.

It seems that I need to make some important changes to Max's diet and nutritional plan. I would like to use your professional advice while deciding which foods to feed by giving you a few alternatives that are available in Japan. I would then like to add some effective nutritional supplements to be integrated within the context of what the chosen food may need to be further supplemented with for Max's specific needs (e.g. you mentioned taking milk thistle to mitigate negative side effects of Predonisone).

Since we live in Japan, not all products are always available to us. I would like to send you links to specific food and nutritional options and ask you to chose the ones you consider most suitable and what should the dosage of the particular supplement be. I would like to do this once and properly.

I presume the above constitutes more than one question. What is the best way to go about this - add more questions to my original post (if that is possible) or would you prefer to charge a set fee?

Many thanks again!

Apr 23, 2013

Related Questionsby: Jeff (Administrator)

Hi Leni,

For follow up questions related to your original post, please continue to click the "click here to add your own comments" link and fill out the form... your subscription will will cover the costs for this.

Thanks for asking!

Jeff
Organic Pet Digest

Apr 24, 2013

For Dr. Tillmanby: Leni M

Hello Dr. Tillman

I would love to hear your take on these types of foods and supplements.

FOOD
In the past Max did not respond very well to switching between different kinds of foods so I would like to pick ideally one core meal and perhaps try switching between the different flavors of canned food only. The thing with feeding canned food only is that the types I am considering below cost $5-$7 per can. At Max's weight of 80lbs, we need to feed 5 cans/day with adds up to more than $100/week. I understand you are not keen on feeding dry food but would it be acceptable to feed half dry and half canned? Does it help if we soak the dry food first? These are among the best of options that are available to us in Japan and that I would like to chose between:

1. ACANA GRASSLANDS Dry (http://www.i-love-dogs.com/acana-reviews/acana-provincial-grasslands-grain-free-dry-dog-food/) & ARTEMIS Fresh Mix Canned in lamb, chicken (http://www.i-love-dogs.com/artemis-reviews/holistic-beef-canned/) - this type seems to contain more carbs but I think it would likely agree more with Max's stomach in combination with the high protein Acana.

2. ARTEMIS Fresh Mix Adult (http://www.i-love-dogs.com/artemis-reviews/fresh-mix-adult-dry/) & ARTEMIS OSOPURE Canned in chicken, salmon, duck ( http://www.i-love-dogs.com/artemis-reviews/osopure-chicken-canned/) - this canned food is pure meat and I think the protein content would be too much for Max so mixing with not-so-high-protein Artemis Fresh Mix could balance out well...? This would be my preferred option as Max is already used to Artemis Fresh Mix dry food but I am willing to consider switching to higher protein Acana above if you think that might be wise.

SUPPLEMENTS
We are using iHerb to import all our supplements. All links take you there. If you happen to see a better product, please let me know.

1. Max's currently taking these MULTIVITAMINS but I am a little concerned about overdosing him in conjunction with what is already in his food so I only give him 1-2 wafers a day. Shall I continue these in regard to the potential feeding options below? What dose would you recommend?
http://www.iherb.com/Dancing-Paws-Daily-Multi-Vitamin-Mineral-For-Dogs-180-Chewable-Wafers/12625

2. MILK THISTLE. I notice you suggested 8mg/pound. Max weighs 80lbs so this would mean 640mg TWICE a day. I have been having a tough time finding the right product and counting the exact dosage (i.e. I usually buy Solgar but I know their products are more potent and the dosage above implies twice the recommended dosage for human adult on the packaging.) The liquid formulas seem interesting but seem to contain alcohol. Would you be able to pick a product here and tell me the exact dosage I should administer, please:
http://www.iherb.com/search?kw=milk+thistle&x=0&y=0#none

TBC...

Apr 24, 2013

For Dr. Tillmanby: Leni M

Here is the rest of my message:

3. I see that you seem to like the K9 Immunity Plus product:
http://www.iherb.com/Aloha-Medicinals-Inc-K9-Immunity-Plus-for-Dogs-Liver-Fish-Flavored-Soft-Chews-90-Wafers/36616
I would like to try them. The recommended dosage is 3 wafers per day. Each wafer contains 600mg of immune-active polysaccharide blend, 400mg of Omega-3 concentrate (EPA 66mg, DHA 44mg) and 160mg of immuno-protein concentrate.

4. I usually give Max Grizzly SALMON OIL with each meal:
http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/salmon_oil/salmon_oil.html
I give him the recommended dose for his weight, 4 pump strokes per day. The producer website says this delivers 2500mg of Omega 3 acids and about 300mg of linoleic Omega-6 acid. I know that there is more Omega acids in the actual food. Should I still continue the Grizzly oil or would all this be too much?

5. As I mentioned previously, I purchased Q10 and IP6 as I read they are effective as post-cancer treatment supplement:
http://pathwithpaws.com/2011/12/29/a-mini-protocol-for-any-cancer/
I am not sure if these are already included in the K9 Immunity Plus mix. Shall I give him these separately? Do you agree with the dosage in the article above?

TREATS
Max usually gets a healthy snack at noon or when we leave him alone at home. I would really appreciate if you could chose a few here that you consider best:

http://www.vitacost.com/greenies-large-dog-treats-36-oz-canister-24-treats
(I have never been certain whether these are actually effective or just well marketed)

http://www.vitacost.com/nylabone-healthy-edibles-bones-wolf-roast-chicken
(Max loves these but I have never been sure if they are actually good for him)

http://www.petco.com/product/10001/Pedigree-Jumbone-Dog-Chew.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/C-E-T-HEXtra-Premium-Hygiene-Chlorhexidine/dp/B001P05K7W
(Is "chlorhexidine" safe? I believe they also make a formula without this ingredient. They seem to work well on Max's teeth...)

Regarding Max's diet, and combining the canned with the dry, you wrote,

"ARTEMIS Fresh Mix Adult (http://www.i-love-dogs.com/artemis-reviews/fresh-mix-adult-dry/) & ARTEMIS OSOPURE Canned in chicken, salmon, duck - this canned food is pure meat and I think the protein content would be too much for Max so mixing with not-so-high-protein Artemis Fresh Mix could balance out well...?

I agree, especially since Max is already used to it.

In answer to your other questions:1. Multi-vits, I suggest continue all of these.

4. Grizzly Oil- May be too much with the above K-9 Immunity, therefore, you may try either a reduced dose, or NOT give it at all for the first 3-6 weeks until Max is used to the K-9 Immunity...then start to add it in a little at a time.

5. Q-10 and IP6, NOT necessary.

6. Treats- all of them look fine.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care, Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

In my previous answer, I forgot to include that when you combine both canned and dry together, as a 'compromise', perhaps consider decreasing the dry food even more. Include 1-2 TBSP of raw meat, no RAW pork or RAW fish, but chicken, turkey, beef or lamb would all be good.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care, Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Apr 26, 2013

Follow upby: Leni M

Thank you so much for your advice, Dr. Tillman.

I will indeed consider adding some fresh raw meat and steamed green beans into Max's diet. He seems to be enjoying his Artemis fresh mix dry + Osopure chicken meals and cleans his bowl out exceptionally well!

I feel uneasy with you spending all this time to help. Is there a way I can make an extra contribution for your efforts?

Thanks for being so considerate Leni, but helping has been my pleasure.

For future questions that you think might be more involved, perhaps you could sign up for a monthly subscription. It's also a good solution for our clients who do not have a holistic veterinarian nearby and need advice or a 2nd opinion from time to time.

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Nov 29, 2013

Update on Maxby: Anonymous

Hello Lauren,

I just wanted to give you a quick update on Max. Good news! We have been returning to the vet for regular check ups after his surgery and he has been clear of cancer so far. We are actually going for our bi-monthly check up tomorrow.

In July, our vet had him take a "food intolerance test". It is not an allergy test and there is still a lot of controversy whether avoiding foods on the list works or not. However, we invested into it and so far it has been worth every penny.

Max's results revealed that he should not have beef, chicken, rice, wheat… most of the ingredients that you can find in every dog food. Same for the food we were feeding him. We got a new food recommendation from the vet and started feeding it immediately. Max has not had a diarrhea every since. He has been healthy for 5 months now after suffering from chronic diarrhea for 5 years.

The catch is that I don't believe his current food has many nutrients so I started carefully adding cooked salmon, duck, steamed broccoli, etc. and he seems to tolerate very well (tolerate is a big underestimation actually, he LOVES it and can't stop licking his lips after he is finished!). I believe all the diarrhea in his life likely had some influence on his cancer as well so hopefully he can keep up the good work!

Thank you so much for your kind help. You have been so helpful and opened my eyes to healthy dog diet and I will do my best to integrate the findings into Max's dinners so we can keep him for years to come.

Thank you so much for the update on Max! That is wonderful news that there has been no recurrence of the mast cell cancer. It sounds like you have been doing research to make sure that Max will have the most nutritious diet without a relapse back to chronic diarrhea.

You might also consider the addition of immune support, if you are not already adding it to his diet.

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Disclaimers: The information contained in this web site is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as nor should be relied upon as medical advice. Rather, it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a pet owner/site visitor and his/her local veterinarian(s). Before you use any of the information provided in the site, you should seek the advice of a qualified professional.

In the spirit of full
disclosure, we wanted to let you know that we proudly support this
website through advertising and affiliate marketing. In other words,
when you click on a link that takes you outside of this website, we
often earn a small commission. These small commissions allow us to keep
the site up and running and to continue offering it completely free of
charge to you. Rest assured that all content, recommendations and
advice are created before, and are independent of, any sponsorship or
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